Updated on: Friday, March 04, 2016
The centrally-sponsored premier health institute JIPMER would set up its branch in Karaikal and the Union territory government has earmarked 80 acres of land for it, chief minister N Rangasamy said on Wednesday.
The Jawaharlal Institute of Postgraduate Medical Education and Research (JIPMER) would also offer MBBS course in its Karaikal branch with an initial strength of 50 students from 2016-17 academic year, functioning temporarily from the premises of an arts college, Rangasamy told reporters.
He was speaking after documents earmarking the 80-acre site for the proposed facility were handed over to JIPMER director Dr SC Parija in his presence. Once the branch starts functioning from the full-fledged premises after construction, JIPMER would raise the strength of students to 100, he said.
JIPMER would offer in Karaikal all the facilities in health care services as being provided at Puducherry.
The UT government intends to ensure that students from Karaikal had the facility to have medical education through JIPMER locally, he said, adding "now the aspiration is being fulfilled." He also said the General Hospital in Karaikal would be upgraded and used as a centre for practical orientation of the students doing the medical course at JIPMER.
Specialist doctors from JIPMER would be deployed in the government hospital and also at the level of primary and community health centres in Karaikal.
The project outlay was being worked out, the chief minister said.